Harvesting must use good
conservation practices to avoid habitat destruction.

DescriptionPlants are generally brown or dark
green in colour. Tissues are differentiated into holdfast, stipes, fronds,
fruiting bodies and in some species there are gas-filled bladders. Some
species may grow to a length of several metres. Common in the beach drift of
beaches near Sargassum beds.

HabitatSargassum species are found
throughout tropical areas of the world and are often the most obvious
macrophyte in near-shore areas where Sargassum beds often occur near coral
reefs The plants grow subtidally and they attach to coral, rocks or shells
in moderately exposed or sheltered rocky or pebble areas. In some cases
(e.g. Sargasso Sea) there are floating populations.

Production There are few statistics on the Sargassum harvest and
actual harvests are probably several times the figures shown
above.

Biology & AgronomyWild harvest.

ChemistrySargassum species serve as sources of alginates. SuriaLink has
a monograph in preparation concerning alginate chemistry. Also
reported to contain fucoidan.

ProcessingWe have several monographs in progress covering analytical
procedures post-harvest treatment and process technology. Check
the processing
index for available web pages and monographs.

Products, Uses & ApplicationsSargassum species are the tropical equivalent to Ascophyllum and
Fucus in terms of uses and
applications. They are used as raw materials for alginate
production and are also used as a component of animal feed and a
source of liquid plant foods or plant biostimulants. There may
also be nutraceutical or pharmaceutical applications for fucoidan
and other bioactive extracts of the genus.

List of
species' uses and community affiliations

Genus

GenID

SpID

Species

Uses

Communities

Sargassum

SA

AQU

aquifolium

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

CRF

crassifolium

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

FII

filipendula

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

GRM

gramminifolium

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

HEN

henslowianum

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

HOR

horneri

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

ILI

ilicifolium

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

MCC

mcclurei

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

MYR

myriocystum

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

OLI

oligocystum

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

POL

polycystum

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

SIQ

siliquosum

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

SPP

spp.

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

VAC

vachelliannum

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

Sargassum

SA

WIG

wightii

FA, FI, FF, IA, PA

AI, BP

click
to relevant uses or communities on the index/legend table below>>>